Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Seventh Heaven ❯ Aftermath of a Kiss ( Chapter 28 )

Title: Aftermath of a Kiss

Series: Seventh Heaven

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: 1/2, 6/9

Warnings: Heero POV, AU (our time), OC, sap

Disclaimer: Santa came along on Christmas, but he told me that his supply of the GW boys had run out by the time he came to my place and that I would have to wait for another year. So no, I don't own the GW boys. I own this ficcy though.

Thanx to Lily Kalanoa for beta-ing! ^^

I think I could have given the Easter Bunny a run for its money, the way I was jumping around. It was like I had suddenly become a five year old with too much energy to spare. Scratch that. I was frolicking like that forever bouncing tiger in Winnie the Pooh. And I didn't have that wretched and grouchy rabbit coming after me.

What I do have is one wide-eyed Trowa following me in the corridor of our university campus.

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" he asks for the umpteenth time. Oh, I've long lost count. Not that I actually kept tabs on that.

"I'm 120% perfectly alright, Trowa. In fact, nothing can faze me now."

He raises an eyebrow, and gives me another quick once-over. I don't know if he meant to do it, but I have a feeling that he is only one step away from knocking me senseless and dragging me to the nearest hospital. Or maybe even the mental hospital. I'm not sure.

Not that I can actually blame him. I don't think I've been so… ecstatic about anything in a very long time. Ecstatic enough that I was still grinning from ear to ear when Catherine came up to me and confessed that she had lost my favourite book. And according to the bookstores she had gone to in order to look for another copy, the book was already out of print.

"Not even our big project that's coming up?"

"Project? Which one?"

If Trowa was shocked earlier by my bizarre behavior, he is completely freaked out by now. Freaked out in a way that I would have been if his bangs suddenly defied gravity and pointed upwards. Maybe it's possible… with all that hair gel he applies to his hair to keep it slick.

He peers at me through narrowed eyes. "The one Smith assigned us to do. That big, big business project? Does it ring a bell?"

"Oh, you mean that one," I reply. "Actually, Solo and I have already secured deals for our goods. Somehow, Solo managed to help us get a couple of discounts so we still have quite a bit of funds left for advertising. I'm designing some posters and pamphlets right now, and Solo's gotten the student council's permission for a joint advertising…"

"Wait a minute. You mentioned the student council. How in the world did you manage to get their permission? The president of the council is a complete asshole."

"You mean William? I think Solo knows him. I'm not too sure about the details though," I answer with a careless shrug. Somehow, I think Solo knows nearly everyone in this school and maybe more. How he manages to keep up with all the relationships is beyond my comprehension. Like I said, I'm not really that much of a people person. "What about your project? You're doing it with that… blonde girl, aren't you? Erm… Jenny, is it?"

He actually sighs. Deeply. "Jennifer. But she insists I call her Jen or Jennie," Trowa winces at that, "and she won't respond to me if I call her Jennifer. Every time we meet up for the project, it's like working with a leech. She keeps grabbing onto me like some octopus that escaped from a local sushi bar. But her mind is like some non-stick frying pan. I keep telling her that I'm gay and I have a boyfriend, but she never listens."

Inwardly, I heave a huge sigh of relief. If I had just taken the seat beside her that day, I might actually have a Relena the second stalking me. I'm going to have to thank Solo properly for saving me.

"Have you ever tried bringing Quatre along?" Oh, the little blonde would show that Jennifer just what it means to be a boyfriend. Their confrontation would be likely to escalate to resemble some wrestling match, or if Quatre didn't cut his nails that day, a cat fight. He's possessive that way.

"Quatre's partner, Jeff, is Jennifer's twin brother. So every time I have to meet up with Jennifer, Jeff will call Quatre to meet up too. I swear they plan it," Trowa says with a roll of his eyes. Adjusting his book bag behind him and the reference books in his arms, he looks at me. "So… what is it that's making you so elated? Relena's finally given up on you?"

"Is that even remotely possible? I'm already prepared to give out a cash reward to anyone that manages to get her off me," I say, still walking towards one of the campus' many cafeterias for lunch. "It's something even better."

Trowa smirks. "Duo confessed his undying love for you?"

Oh, how I wish that were true. Sometimes, this step-by-step method of courting him is too slow for my tastes. It'd be really wonderful if Duo were to come up to me and show me *his* confession list.

"Not quite. But he kissed me the other day."

I swear the following events happen in slow motion. Trowa drops his books. And by some strange twist of fate (or should I say just desserts?), the lighter ones fall to his side and the heaviest one, which is a good 500 pages, ends its one-meter fall by landing on his foot.

"OW!"

He quickly bends down to nurse his abused foot, shoving that huge tome aside.

"Oh my god… it feels like I dropped some lead on my foot. What is that book made of anyway?" he grumbles as I help pick up his stuff.

"Paper. Lots of paper. Why are you so shocked anyway?"

Trowa shoots me a look of pure disbelief. "You expect me to not be surprised at all when you tell me that Duo kissed you? You? Mr. I-don't-know-naught-about-romantic-relationships? Trust me. If Quatre learns about this, he'll throw you a party."

I don't know if I should be insulted; it's not a big deal. Duo just kissed me twice on my cheeks. It's just kissing. And it's not even on my lips. …Okay, so it's a big deal. I mean, this is like another milestone of our relationship. And maybe for our next date, I can kiss him on the cheeks instead. So I've established that this is a big deal. But this big? Big enough for forever cool Trowa Barton to drop his books on his foot?

I think I *am* insulted.

*****

Lunch is a fairly mundane thing nowadays. In fact, it got boring after we all agreed that the food here is horrible. The good ones are tasteless. The bad ones are… well, I haven't got a word for it. Or maybe I have. Triple-ble. Terrible, indigestible and inedible.

But it's the worst on Tuesdays because Catherine and Quatre don't have the same lunch break as the three of us. Trowa is not that much of a talker, and Zechs is still depressed over Noin. So lunch today is boring.

I look at Trowa doing a sculpture with his spaghetti (hey, is that a super-deformed replica of Venus de Milo?), and then at Zechs stabbing at his meatballs like they're enemies.

I turn back to my own lunch.

Suddenly, a ring tone blares out and Zechs immediately takes out his new cell phone, the one that can do MMS and take photographs and all that. The way he's prepared to answer his phone… it's like he knows someone will be calling him. Probably he's waiting for a call from Noin. After a little fumbling, he successfully sees what's on his screen and he lets out this… weirdest sounding… moan.

Trowa snatches the cell phone out of Zechs' lax grip, and I lean over to catch a glimpse of what's on the screen. Seeing it, I chuckle nervously and raise an eyebrow at Trowa. He just blinks, peeking at Zechs all the while like he's afraid he'd suddenly explode. And we both know that he will, in his so very distinctive way.

"Relax, Zechs. Take… take a deep breath."

"In case you're wondering, that guy with his arm around Noin is her classmate," Zechs points out almost too cheerily to be true. "And yes, we still haven't made up yet."

I hold up a hand. "No Zechs… Calm down."

"Noin's refused to pick up my calls, and she avoids me like I'm a new version of the Bubonic Plague. So no. I'm not surprised that she's turned chummy to her male classmates. No. I'm not surprised at all."

"Zechs," Trowa puts a hand on his shoulder, "calm down. Noin's just… angry. She'll get over it in a while."

"I'm okay, guys! Stop looking at me like I'm going to bolt and gut the guy! Or strangle him, or decapitate him…" Zechs counts off his fingers. Then he pushes against the table and stands up. "I've got something I absolutely have to do right now. Go on and enjoy your lunch."

He's gone before Trowa and I can try to hold him down.

"Hey, Heero?"

"What?"

"You know this guy?"

"No. You?"

"Not a clue."

"So that means he's got no one to tell him about Zechs running down the corridor and hunting him down."

"Poor thing. Do you think the ambulance can come over and be on standby in the car park?"

"You can try calling," I suggest as I give him a shrug.

He doesn't seem convinced.

*****

After knowing Zechs for so many years, I've come to the conclusion that while he's brash, he's not stupid. So I seriously doubt that he'd actually kill the other guy. Maybe just one or two missing front teeth, but that's it. Besides, Noin should have already warned him about her currently estranged boyfriend so he'd be on the lookout for a flash of golden hair.

Therefore, with all these in mind, Trowa and I decide to mind our own business. It's never a good idea to get meddled with Zechs' affairs. The last time Quatre tried, he nearly got decked, were Trowa not there. Catherine is strangely immune though. Probably because she can and will punch the lights out of Zechs in order to get some sense inside. Quatre is just too nice for that.

Still, I don't know if it's fate or just coincidence, I actually see Noin at the bus station when I'm going home. Geez… I hate the person writing the script for my life.

"Noin?"

She turns around. "Oh, hi Heero. Going home?"

"Yeah. You too?"

She nods. "I've got a few reports to write up."

"Oh." Why doesn't anyone write a book on how to talk to your friend's girlfriend when they're not on good terms currently? And if there is such a book, why doesn't anyone ever refer me to it? This is the reason why Quatre says I'm too blunt sometimes.

"Maybe you haven't heard… but Zechs' really upset about you getting mad at him. Can't you just… talk to him? You know, just smooth things over?" My inner self sighs at my pathetic attempt.

Noin smirks. "So I've heard. Some of my friends have told me that Zechs looks strangely despondent nowadays."

"So are you going to talk to him?"

"A while more, perhaps," she says airily. "He's not going to learn his lesson if I forgive him entirely too early, don't you think?"

Finally, the significance of her smirk dawns on me and I can't help but grin back. Zechs is going to have his hands full with her, I can tell. The blonde peacock has really met his match this time. Suddenly, I see a female version of Solo, the type of person who knows exactly what buttons to push to get what they want. Manipulative, but clever nonetheless.

"Definitely. Just don't let him wait too long, or that guy you took the photo with could find himself in real danger," I answer, not too concerned.

"Nah, you don't have to worry about Fred. He's a judo expert. But I've told him to go easy on Zechs, if Zechs really does try to confront him. Actually, I'm pretty sure he will, but he'll be fine. Fred knows his strength well," she notes with a little nod of her head. Then she turns to me. "So I guess you won't be telling Zechs about my little… scheme, would you?"

"Not a word from me, I assure you. It's high time Zechs learns to settle down."

Our conniving grins are enough to scare others a mile away.

*****

Maybe one would think I'm positively evil to want to do this to Zechs, my childhood friend. But really, I think this would do him some good. With Noin around, his womanizing days may finally be over. Well, he's not really a womanizer actually; just a big flirt with touchy feely hands and looks to attract females like bees to honey. So if he actually settles down, it'd give him some measure of character growth and well… he might lose some enemies and make less in the future. Unlike Zechs, I still find it hard to forget the time when a girl's boyfriend came knocking on his door like he wanted to bang the whole piece of wood down.

So yes, I'm sure some good will come out of this.

Another good that has come out is the timely reminder of the existence of the new line of cell phones, I muse to myself as I step out of a shop with my new cell in hand. It's hard to remember the time when cell phones didn't exist, really. And I didn't really pay attention to when the screens turned from black and white to colour, and when the ring tones become midi files instead of a string of shrill, irritating rings.

But the best innovation about cell phones in my mind? The ability to take photos, of course.

Holding my cell phone before me, I press a button and instantly, the picture turns up on my screen. I grin. I'd admit that the photos are of low quality and can only be preserved in the memory card of my phone (I think), but it's convenient and handy. Much more convenient than my camera, that's for sure, since that is kept under locks inside my room all thanks to my lovely sister. Sometimes, I think I locked it away too good; it's a little bothersome to take it out now. But now that I have this thing -I finger my new phone gleefully- it'd be a lot easier to take photos.

And of course, what subject better to take than Duo?

If I could, I'd make him my wallpaper. But just when are we meeting again, anyway? I don't think we'd set a date or anything before he left my apartment the other day. Maybe I'll ring him up tonight and ask him out. And I could give him my new number too.

As I return home, I make a mental note of the people I have to remember to give my number to. Quatre, Trowa, Zechs, Catherine, Treize, Une, Hirde, Dorothy (my number one informant), Solo… I'm careful to leave out anyone who would leak my number to Relena. She's going to have a fit when she can't get me through the phone, but I could care less. In fact, I'd be happy enough to put on a tutu if I can just see the look on her face when she discovers that my phone number she has doesn't work anymore.

But most importantly, Duo. With cell phones, it'd be easier for us to get in touch without fear of his brother picking up my calls. Besides, there's something called SMS.

I just wonder if I can convince him to let me take a photo of us kissing. For real, this time.